Small Group Reunion

It is so significant to have people in your life who stand by you through all of life's up and downs. They are there for you, share their wisdom, help you discern, listen with care, love on you... and most importantly, they pray for you. We used to belong to a Small Group at church that met every week! Jason and I are so grateful to have had this wonderful group of friends to depend on: the Sieberts, the Cos, the Lees, and the McCrearys. The Sieberts moved to Edmonton a few years ago (yup, my beloved hometown!) and it just got tougher for our group to meet together because of our growing families and their needs. Well, last Saturday, our group had a reunion! The Sieberts were visiting California and our group had a chance to share an afternoon together. It was fun to reminisce and just talk! Our house was crowded with all of our families! It was nice to "pick up where we left off" and we marveled at how easy it was for our kids to do the same even though they were just babies when our group was meeting. I feel like it's impossible to put into words how thankful I am for these people and how I miss seeing them on a regular basis!

(the above picture is missing Caleb and Joshua McCreary)

St. Patrick's Day

Last year, our friends, the Pozzis, posted pictures on Facebook about a leprechaun trap they had created with their daughters. It was the first time I had ever heard of such a thing and I thought it was hilarious. Last week, Grace came home and shared that for homework, she had to create a leprechaun trap. I immediately began asking her questions about what she wanted to do- she drew a sketch and even gave me a list of things to go buy. After asking her the logistics of how her idea would work, she realized she couldn't figure out how to make it all work, so she decided to take a different approach. The end result was so cute! Part of the assignment was that she had to explain to her class how everything worked. For practice, I recorded her explanation (for the video, look under the section called "Our Videos" on the right side of the blog).

Even though the trap didn't catch any leprechauns, March 17 was a fun day- Grace ate green snacks at her school party, a leprechaun visited Jeremy at daycare (surprisingly, he wasn't scared), he got to eat green cake, we all wore something green, had Irish Stew for dinner, visited some friends after dinner, and Jason happily drank his stout & watched the beginning of March Madness. Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy Birthday, Mom!

The first weekend of March, our family came together to celebrate Jason's mom's birthday. We wanted to do something really special for her- Jason decided it would be the best time to try out the new pasta maker he got for Christmas. Jennifer and Jason worked together to make an amazing dinner- homemade pasta noodles were topped with a creamy sauce that had shrimp, asparagus, and sun-dried tomatoes. YUM! It was nice to spend time together- with such busy lives, we really value the times when we're able to get together. Of course it was made even more special since we were celebrating such a wonderful person- hope you had a great birthday, Mom!

Last Winter Storm

The last time I was in SoCal was during our horrific trip to San Diego during Winter Break. That was when we were stuck in the car for 15 hours because of road closures! Well, on the weekend of Feb. 25, I had to head down that way again. A major storm passed through the state that same weekend, so I was very nervous about heading to Palm Springs to attend a GATE conference. There was word that the major mountain passes were going to be shut down again. Not only that, it was my first time being away from my family for longer than a night since Jeremy was born. Thank goodness, our rides there and back were uneventful and we didn't get caught up in any traffic. It was rather strange that it rained in Palm Springs and it was rare that the weather was as cold as it was for that area. I had a great time at the conference- I learned a lot, got rejuvenated & re-inspired about my role as a teacher, got to know a lot of people, and most importantly, enjoyed some time to myself in a fabulous hotel room.

Meanwhile, the storm dumped quite a bit of snow in the mountain areas near here. Jason took the kids up to Oakhurst to spend the day with his family. In addition to seeing where Mr. Dan (soon-to-be Uncle) works and riding in Dan's cool fire truck (Jeremy was in heaven), they also went sledding near Calvin Crest. Jason said it was very cold, but that didn't stop the kids from enjoying the snow! Afterwards, everyone went back to Grandma's to enjoy the rest of the day.

Love

Valentine's Day is a day to celebrate "love." Jason and I don't really "celebrate" it with expensive flowers, chocolates and jewelry- we think of it as a cheesy "Hallmark" holiday, but at the root of it, it's a day for us to intentionally reflect about love and about the people in our lives who love and care for us, who we are truly grateful for.

One particular person who always goes out of her way to make us feel loved and special is Jason's mom. I really don't know anyone who is as selfless as her. She is the most giving person and so incredibly generous. She is always there for us... We are truly grateful for the amazing relationship she has with our kids. They light up and get excited when they see her and love to spend time with her. She does so much to express her love for them, and spends valuable time with them doing things they enjoy. Thank you for everything you do for us, Mom/Grandma. We love you so much!

Another couple that we are grateful for are Darrell and Karen. We met them through church when I was expecting with Grace. We just kind of "clicked" and they have been a part of our lives ever since. They've watched our family grow and change through the years and they have always been extremely supportive. They've become like "adopted grandparents," particularly since my parents are so far away. Thank you Darrell and Karen, for loving our family like you do!

Obviously, there's no possible way we could ever showcase all the people who we are grateful for- just know that we feel so blessed to have such an amazing circle of people around us! May you always feel loved, not just on Valentine's Day!